The Various Construction Materials of Fountains
The Various Construction Materials of Fountains While today’s garden fountains are made in a number of materials, most are crafted from metal. Metals tend to create clean lines and unique sculptural accents and can fit almost any design theme or budget.
The interior design of your home should determine the look and feel of your yard and garden as well. Presently, copper is very prevalent for sculptural garden fountains. Copper is common for both inside and outside use and is widely found in tabletop and cascade fountains, among others. Copper is also flexible enough that you can choose a range of styles for your fountain, from contemporary to whimsical.
Brass water fountains are also common, although they tend to have a more conventional look than copper ones. Brass fountains are commonly designed with unique artwork, so they are popular even if they are a bit conventional.
Of all the metals, stainless steel is viewed as the most contemporary-looking. A contemporary steel design will quickly raise the value of your garden as well as the feeling of serenity. Like all water fountains, you can buy them in just about any size you prefer.
Because it is both lighter and less expensive than metal but has a similar look, fiberglass is quite common for fountains. It is not complicated to clean and maintain a fiberglass water fountain, yet another reason they are popular.
Modern Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Beginnings
Modern Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Beginnings A water fountain is an architectural piece that pours water into a basin or jets it high into the air in order to supply drinking water, as well as for decorative purposes.The main purpose of a fountain was originally strictly functional. Residents of cities, townships and small towns utilized them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash up, which meant that fountains needed to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Until the late 19th, century most water fountains functioned using the force of gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a source of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Artists thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and honor the artist responsible for creating it. Roman fountains usually depicted imagery of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. To depict the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs.
King Louis XIV of France wanted to illustrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to laud their positions by including decorative baroque-style fountains at the point where restored Roman aqueducts arrived into the city.
The end of the 19th century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to purely decorative elements. The creation of unique water effects and the recycling of water were 2 things made possible by replacing gravity with mechanical pumps.
Contemporary fountains are used to embellish community spaces, honor individuals or events, and enhance recreational and entertainment events.
A Short History of the First Public Water Features
A Short History of the First Public Water Features Water fountains were initially practical in function, used to convey water from canals or creeks to cities and hamlets, supplying the residents with clean water to drink, wash, and cook with. In the days before electrical power, the spray of fountains was powered by gravity alone, usually using an aqueduct or water source located far away in the nearby mountains. The splendor and wonder of fountains make them ideal for traditional monuments. The common fountains of modern times bear little likeness to the first water fountains. Simple stone basins created from local material were the original fountains, used for religious purposes and drinking water. 2,000 BC is when the earliest identified stone fountain basins were used. Gravity was the power source that controlled the initial water fountains. Drinking water was supplied by public fountains, long before fountains became ornate public monuments, as attractive as they are functional. The people of Rome began creating decorative fountains in 6 BC, most of which were bronze or stone masks of animals and mythological characters. The remarkable aqueducts of Rome supplied water to the incredible public fountains, most of which you can go see today.The Origins of Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains
The Origins of Modern Outdoor Wall Fountains Hundreds of ancient Greek records were translated into Latin under the auspices of the scholarly Pope Nicholas V, who ruled the Roman Catholic Church from 1397 to 1455. Beautifying Rome and making it the worthy capital of the Christian world was at the center of his ambitions. Starting in 1453, the ruined ancient Roman aqueduct known as the Aqua Vergine which had brought clean drinking water into the city from eight miles away, underwent restoration at the behest of the Pope. The ancient Roman tradition of marking the arrival point of an aqueduct with an magnificent celebratory fountain, also known as a mostra, was restored by Nicholas V. The Trevi Fountain now occupies the area previously filled with a wall fountain built by Leon Battista Albert, an architect employed by the Pope.
The Trevi Fountain as well as the renowned baroque fountains located in the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona were eventually supplied with water from the altered aqueduct he had reconstructed.